TORONTO | While the Canadian looks to the future in Montreal, the future in the Queen City is already now. A maxim that is expressed in two ways around the Maple Leafs.
Among fans who haven’t seen the shadow of the Stanley Cup since 1967, except for the one that sits in the Hall of Fame 12 months of the year, we want results. And we want them this season. Last spring, their favorites won a playoff round for the first time since 2004, but lost in the next round.
To them, there is no reason why a team that relies on stars like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly shouldn’t be able to win in the playoffs. Especially after at least seven seasons on the Bettman circuit.
“We have a more mature group. Our players have grown through all of these pitfalls and failures. They are more motivated than ever,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe. When I took over in 2019, we were one of the youngest teams. The core of our team is now older and more young people have joined. It’s an exciting mix. »
“They realize what it takes to get to the next level. And we have to focus on what needs to be done every day,” he continued.
One after the other
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Here we understand that for Leafs players, now is today. And not tomorrow, much less next month. And Keefe’s message comes across as both Matthews, Marner and Rielly mentioned it in the few minutes they each gave to members of the media in the locker room at their training complex.
“We’ll think about April when we get there. “It’s not that difficult,” Rielly tried to convince. We play our first game tomorrow (Wednesday night) then head out for a few games. This is the broadest view we are looking for. »
We can understand them. It’s a great way to approach things to avoid the pressure that comes with fan impatience.
“We don’t want to give too much importance to what is being said around us. “We have our own expectations, which are high,” Marner said. As much as we shouldn’t look too far ahead, we should also avoid dwelling on the past. You have to stay in the present moment and try to improve every day. »
Matthews’ work
Regular season hockey is fundamentally different from playoff hockey. This is undoubtedly one of the explanations for the Leafs’ lack of success in the spring dance, a time of year when ice space becomes much more limited and you have to fight fiercely for every inch gained. All too often, raw talent is no longer enough.
Brad Treliving was hired as general manager in the offseason and fulfilled part of his contract by bringing in Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves, players a little better suited to that style of play.
However, the team’s stars, especially Matthews, must learn that the defensive aspect of the game is just as important to winning top honors. The Washington Capitals, especially Alex Oveckin, had to accept that before they could win the Stanley Cup.
“Auston has innate talent. Everyone knows about it. What people know less and what I’ve noticed since I’ve been here is how much effort he puts in to improve every day, even in the summer, praised Treliving. He is one of the best players in the world. He has already scored 60 goals. But when we talk to him, he’s all about the team’s successes and what we can do to improve. »
Pulling back and helping the defenders in the defensive area would be a good start.